Re: "Reply" button functionality in KMail (especially with mailing lists)

On Wednesday 21 November 2007 13:31:03 Matthew Blissett wrote:
> Hi
> 
> I'd like to share some thoughts on how KMail should behave when replying to 
> messages.  This was discussed before (ages ago) so I apologise for bringing 
> it up again, but I don't think the current behaviour is optimal.
> 
> At the moment there's the "Folder -> Mailing list management -> Folder holds a 
> mailing list" setting (on or off), and also four Reply buttons:
> - Reply;
> - Reply to all;
> - Reply to list;
> - Reply to author.
> 
> Currently, if the folder-holds-mailing-list setting is off and the user 
> presses "Reply" to a message from a mailing list, then the reply goes to the 
> whole list (by extracting the List-Post message header).  This seems 
> dangerous to me -- I expect the "Reply" button to go to the author of the 
> message in most cases.
> 
> I think this behaviour would be better:
>   
> "Reply" button
>   If "Folder holds a mailing list" is ticked for this folder
>     - the same as "Reply to List" button
>   Otherwise
>     - the same as "Reply to Author" button
>   
> "Reply to List" button
>   Try
>     - add addresses in "Mail-Followup-To" header to "To"
>   Otherwise
>     - add address set in "Mailing list management" to "To"
>   Otherwise
>     - add address in "List-Post" header to "To"
>   Otherwise
>     - leave "To" empty
> 
> "Reply to Author" button
>   - Add "Mail-Reply-To" or "Reply-To" or "From" to "To"
> 
> "Reply to All" button
>   - Do "Reply to List"
> 
>   If "To" is empty (so it wasn't a mailing list)
>     - Add "Mail-Reply-To" or "Reply-To" or "From" to "To"
>   Otherwise (we have a mailing list address in "To")
>     - Add "Mail-Reply-To" or "Reply-To" or "From" to "CC"
> 
>   - Add "To" and "CC" addresses to "CC"
> 
> (In all cases, avoid duplicate addresses etc)
> 
> I'm influenced by this: <http://cr.yp.to/proto/replyto.html> but I'm not sure 
> what's best for "Reply to All" since KMail also has the "Reply to List" 
> function.
> 
> Does this seem better?  Logical?  I started editing kmmessage.cpp but I 
> decided it was worth checking what everyone thought.
> 

I'd like to encourage you to try your changes in kmmessage and send us a patch.
The worst that can happen is you get addicted to KMail development :)

I'm not a core KMail developer so I don't have the final say on accepting these
changes, but I certainly am someone who can help test and give you feedback.

So, I think you should "Go for it".

-Allen